Conventionally, a seat apparatus disclosed in JPB2870253 is known. The disclosed seat apparatus includes a vehicle states detecting means for detecting the vehicle states, a position changing means for changing a position of a seat, and a controlling means for controlling the position changing means on the basis of the vehicle states detected by the vehicle states detecting means.
According to the seat apparatus for a vehicle disclosed in JPB2870253, the vehicle states detecting means detects driving states of the vehicle, a posture of an occupant, or the like. Then, the controlling means controls the position changing means for changing the posture of a driver on the basis of values detected by the vehicle states detecting means. Therefore, an optimal driving posture of the driver can be ensured.
However, according to the seat apparatus for a vehicle disclosed in JPB2870253, the position changing means is a motor provided under a seating surface of the seat. The entire seat is tilted in a right and left direction by means of the motor. In this state, even when the entire seat is tilted in the right and left direction, an upper body of the driver may be slipped in case of a normal seat and the upper body of the driver and a lower body of the driver may be bent in a doglegged shape. Therefore, the optimal driving posture of the driver may not always be ensured. Further, when the entire seat is tilted in the right and left direction, a position of the seat relative to a vehicle body may be changed. Therefore, the body of the driver may be in contact with a window, may be sandwiched between the seat and the vehicle body, and the like. Moreover, a large motor is required in order to tilt the entire seat in the right and left direction. Therefore, a weight of the entire vehicle may be increased and a manufacturing cost thereof may also be increased.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a seat apparatus for a vehicle which ensures an optimal posture of an occupant while reducing a size, a weight, and a manufacturing cost thereof.